This was my third time visiting New York City (NYC), and I must be honest, I still feel like I have an entire list of things to do next time I visit! There is SO much to see and do, it can be overwhelming. I do believe there is a timeframe (or a season) for certain activities. For example, if you go around Christmastime, you must do Christmas-themed activities. Or let’s say you visit in the fall, you should probably rent a bike and cross over the Brooklyn Bridge. Anyway, for today’s blog post, I am giving you ideas on what to do next time you visit the Big Apple in the spring/summer.

Since it had been a while since I last saw my best friend, we opted for “chill” things to do. It was all about quality time and catching up on life. That being said, we did a lot of eating and drinking. Here is where we ventured out to:

• Pier 66 Maritime – We stumbled upon this cool-looking place on accident. It is located near Hudson River Park. It caught our attention because it is a two-story floating railroad barge. We ended up ordering a few cocktails and taking our drinks to the second story deck for awesome skyline views and vitamin D. Whenever I have the chance to go back and visit, I plan on saving my appetite because the food photos via google appear BOMB DOT COM.

• Bubby’s – If you love a good burger, I highly recommend this place! I ordered the veggie burger and absolutely enjoyed every bite. Not to mention, the fries are the perfect crunch as well. Meagan ordered a regular burger and also enjoyed it. It looks like there is more than one Bubby’s location; we visited the one in Tribeca. One more thing, I hear the pies are a must-try! We were too stuffed to order a piece but would love to go back to try a slice.
• Antique Garage Tribeca – This was by far one of my favorite places! The ambience was romantic and relaxing. Highly suggest to check out it out with your significant other, especially if you love a live jazz band. All of their antique dining room pieces (chandeliers, utensils, plates, etc.) are from the Victorian era, adding to the entire experience. I had their delicious crème brûlée and coffee.

• Tribeca – If you want to explore an area filled with trendy boutiques and art galleries, wander and get lost in the cobblestone streets of Tribeca. I would love to go back and visit the Brandy Library – an ideal place for those whiskey fans.
• Hudson Yards – Our visit was very brief, I think we spent about an hour exploring the area. There are many ways to plan your visit to Hudson Yards. I’ll link a page listing things to see and do here. If I could hop on a plane right now to NYC, I would go to Edge, a building with the highest observation outdoor deck in the entire Western Hemisphere, and watch the sunset. (The structure pictured below, currently known as The Vessel, was by far my favorite thing to look at during our time there.)

• The High Line – After roaming Hudson Yards, we walked The High Line to Chelsea Market. The High Line is a 1.45-mile-long elevated linear park filled with beautiful flowers and greenery. I would recommend going early for a peaceful stroll. Free park tours are also available from April through October. The tours take place twice a week, Tuesdays at 6:30p or Saturdays at 10a. Click here for more information. Additionally, you can participate in a free stargazing experience every Tuesday at dusk, from April through October. Click here for more information.

• Upper East Side – For fancy neighborhoods and stunning multimillion dollar homes, this is the place for inspiration. I loved exploring this area! I don’t know about you but I love driving by wealthy neighborhoods and feeling the feeling that someday one of those homes will be mine. The steps of this home were made of freaking marble.

• Central Park – Boy, oh boy, did I enjoy our precious picnic at Central Park! We went to Grace’s Marketplace (on Second Ave.) for delicious goodies then to Garnet Wines and Liquors for some rosé. By the way, if you present your receipt from Grace’s Marketplace, you will receive 20% off all liquors and/or 30% off all still wines. How cool, right?!? Best friends, fresh snacks, refreshing rosé, and Frank Sinatra, are the ultimate ingredients for a beautiful afternoon at Central Park.
  • Central Park is enormous, you can spend an entire day exploring it. Click here for a list of things to see and do. By the way, I had no idea there was a zoo! Also, for only $15/hr, you can rent a rowboat. You can bet this activity is on my list next time we visit! If you follow me on IG, you can see a little preview of this activity under the “nyc” highlight reel. If you decide to rent a rowboat, please click here for more details.

• The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) – We arrived just before closing time so we opted for people watching and the street performers (as if we had a choice, LOL). We did have the opportunity to step foot inside of it and I was completely overwhelmed by its beauty! In 2018, The Met was the third most visited art museum in the world! If you take interest in art exhibitions, do yourself a favor and plan your visit in advance. You can buy admission tickets here.

• Chelsea Market – If you read my first NYC Guide, you know how much I loved this place! It is the holy grail for delicious, fresh, and homemade food. If you love to eat, drink, and shop, this food and shopping hall will not disappoint. Meagy – great call on the mozzarella salad from Big Mozz. Also, if you love hotdogs, you must check out Dickson’s Farmstand Meats.

• Milk Bar Chelsea – This is not your typical cookie or cake shop. We ordered a few cookies and cake truffles to go and munched on them as we strolled through the Chelsea neighborhoods. I am not kidding when I say this was probably the best cake truffle I had ever tasted! I highly recommend to taste the birthday cake truffle.

I hope you found this guide helpful in planning your upcoming trip to NYC. If you know of a family member or friend visiting the Big Apple, please share this guide with them too! I would really appreciate your support. If you have any questions about any of the places mentioned above, do not hesitate to ask. I would be more than happy to help.

Also, if you are planning a trip to NYC during Christmastime, I recommend checking out the guide I shared earlier this year; I’ll link it here. It is filled with information about the things we did, food we ate, and places we visited. Do not miss out on the lessons we learned from our mistakes.

As always, thank you so much for reading and supporting my blog. I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week.